According to retail anthropologist Paco Underhill, who travels the world doing behavioral market research, he has identified a group he calls expat-expats: “people who have left their own land to take up residence elsewhere, but settle in an enclave of foreigners like themselves”.
What’s is going on here?
A diverse group brought together by a common set of circumstances.
I like beer.
[quote=“purplepeopleeater”] “people who have left their own land to take up residence elsewhere, but settle in an enclave of foreigners like themselves”.
What’s is going on here?[/quote]
when this happen back in your homeland,you scream out loud that integration should be the way to go,rightly so…
i never understood why one moves to another country/culture,and keep living the same life as before…takes all sorts i guess
Hanging out socially with other expats is hardly “living the same life as before”.
When I lived back home, I never worked for a firm where I was the only person of a particular nationality/citienship. When I lived back home, I never watched Taiwanese television… I never spoke with Taiwanese cab drivers about local politics and social issues on a daily basis… I never hopped a flight for a one hour jaunt to Hong Kong, the Philippines or Thailand, or a slightly longer flight to other destinations such as Guam, Malaysia, etc… When I lived back home, I never took part in my wife’s family’s functions, or in any of my colleagues’ local weddings and stuff… When I lived back home, my kid never attended a local Taiwanese school…
When I lived back home, I didn’t generally socialize with people from all corners of the planet… Nope, I don’t see how my life here could in any way be described as “living the same life as before” I got here…
Ooooohhhh…a new word to pigeonhole expats. I haven’t heard something like that since they came out with “third-culture kids” back in the early 90s.
Here in Taiwan I make and eat everyday belgian food, drink belgian beer, read the belgian newspaper, watch belgian or dutch TV … and I’m the only belgian living in this neighbourhood … man … how much more integrated one can be … I must be THE expat-expat 
:roflmao:
Yeah but you’re reading and writing in English here . . .
HG
You know, I don’t get it either.
I meet people who have been here 5 or more years and don’t speak Chinese… WHAT??
People who only eat food from their native country…
I meet people who tell me all these things they don’t understand, but all their friends are foreign… so how are they supposed to understand.
I don’t get it. I think it’s bunk.
Hanging out socially with other expats is hardly “living the same life as before”.
When I lived back home, I never worked for a firm where I was the only person of a particular nationality/citienship. When I lived back home, I never watched Taiwanese television… I never spoke with Taiwanese cab drivers about local politics and social issues on a daily basis… I never hopped a flight for a one hour jaunt to Hong Kong, the Philippines or Thailand, or a slightly longer flight to other destinations such as Guam, Malaysia, etc… When I lived back home, I never took part in my wife’s family’s functions, or in any of my colleagues’ local weddings and stuff… When I lived back home, my kid never attended a local Taiwanese school…
When I lived back home, I didn’t generally socialize with people from all corners of the planet… Nope, I don’t see how my life here could in any way be described as “living the same life as before” I got here…[/quote]
if your life is so different than when you were back home then why do you feel targeted by my remarks?
you now live like a taiwanese,bravo :bravo:
but like SUCHAFOB pointed out,there are many who keep saying “i don’t understand those taiwanese” or “how are we supposed to read those street signs?” ect…
but these very same peoples don’tmake the slightest effort to “blend-in” :loco:
[quote=“SuchAFob”]You know, I don’t get it either.
I meet people who have been here 5 or more years and don’t speak Chinese… WHAT??
People who only eat food from their native country…
I meet people who tell me all these things they don’t understand, but all their friends are foreign… so how are they supposed to understand.
I don’t get it. I think it’s bunk.[/quote]
Why learn Chinese?
Why eat Taiwanese food?
Maybe they can’t be bothered to learn Chinese. Maybe they don’t need to. Maybe the food from their home country is really good, although I have to say I’ve never met anyone like that. Not speaking Chinese I can understand, but unless you’re Japanese I can’t understand only eating food from home.
I have honestly never understood the insistence that long term expats in a given country go native. Why? Most expats have far more in common with each other than they do with the host population.
[quote=“SuchAFob”]You know, I don’t get it either.
I meet people who have been here 5 or more years and don’t speak Chinese… WHAT??
People who only eat food from their native country…
I meet people who tell me all these things they don’t understand, but all their friends are foreign… so how are they supposed to understand.
I don’t get it. I think it’s bunk.[/quote]
You know, I’ve been here for years, and I am still not crazy about Chinese food. But that’s the wonderful thing about living in a free country–you get to eat what you want.
[quote=“Tigerman”]Hanging out socially with other expats is hardly “living the same life as before”.
When I lived back home, I never worked for a firm where I was the only person of a particular nationality/citienship. When I lived back home, I never watched Taiwanese television… I never spoke with Taiwanese cab drivers about local politics and social issues on a daily basis… I never hopped a flight for a one hour jaunt to Hong Kong, the Philippines or Thailand, or a slightly longer flight to other destinations such as Guam, Malaysia, etc… When I lived back home, I never took part in my wife’s family’s functions, or in any of my colleagues’ local weddings and stuff… When I lived back home, my kid never attended a local Taiwanese school…
When I lived back home, I didn’t generally socialize with people from all corners of the planet… Nope, I don’t see how my life here could in any way be described as “living the same life as before” I got here…[/quote]
Uh, I didn’t feel “targeted”. I was merely remarking that your observation might not be an absolute reflection of reality…
That’s ridiculous. How the heck do you reasonably conclude as such based on what I posted above? :loco:
That’s a fact, Jack! Well stated.
Because you live in a Chinese speaking country…
[quote=“SuchAFob”][quote=“Lord Lucan”]
Why learn Chinese?
[/quote]
Because you live in a Chinese speaking country…[/quote]
True, but it really is not necessary in Taiwan.
I used to wonder how people who didn’t speak Chinese got along in Taiwan. Then I made friends with some of them, and found out: “Could you help me say this to the cabbie/waiter/shopkeep?” “Could you call up this place for me and ask this?” “I had my girlfriend call them, she says…” “My girlfriend/wife talked to them and said…” So yeah, I guess it’s not necessary, but I wouldn’t choose such a second-hand-info kind of life.
[quote]You know, I don’t get it either. I meet people who have been here 5 or more years and don’t speak Chinese… WHAT??
People who only eat food from their native country…
I meet people who tell me all these things they don’t understand, but all their friends are foreign… so how are they supposed to understand.
I don’t get it. I think it’s bunk.[/quote]
Take a visit to the thriving expat communities of HK.
HG
[quote=“jdsmith”][quote=“SuchAFob”][quote=“Lord Lucan”]
Why learn Chinese?
[/quote]
Because you live in a Chinese speaking country…[/quote]
True, but it really is not necessary in Taiwan.[/quote]
It depends where you live, and if you want to get more out of living here than money.
[quote=“Lord Lucan”]
Why learn Chinese?
Why eat Taiwanese food?
Maybe they can’t be bothered to learn Chinese. Maybe they don’t need to. Maybe the food from their home country is really good, although I have to say I’ve never met anyone like that. Not speaking Chinese I can understand, but unless you’re Japanese I can’t understand only eating food from home.
I have honestly never understood the insistence that long term expats in a given country go native. Why? Most expats have far more in common with each other than they do with the host population.[/quote]
When you move to Asia or Africa at least, emmigrate to the America’s and lots of the differences dissapear …
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”][quote]You know, I don’t get it either. I meet people who have been here 5 or more years and don’t speak Chinese… WHAT??
People who only eat food from their native country…
I meet people who tell me all these things they don’t understand, but all their friends are foreign… so how are they supposed to understand.
I don’t get it. I think it’s bunk.[/quote]
Take a visit to the thriving expat communities of HK.
HG[/quote]
That’s been europe for a long time, just recently it started to change and will change further in the future … but than maybe Shanghai will turn into HK 